Take A Stake In Saving Those Pooped-out Pentas Plants

PLANT DOCTOR

October 24, 2004|By Tom Maccubbin, Sentinel Columnist

Question: Our pentas plants are still flowering, but they are leggy. Can they be cut back, and if so, how far?

Answer: Pentas plants with the bright red, lavender, pink and white flowers love the warmish fall weather. You can expect good growth and flowering for another month or two. They often decline during the cooler winter months.

If you cut them back now, you may limit flowering until the warmer spring weather returns. Stake the floppy plants.

Then if the plants survive the colder weather, cut them back to about a foot above the soil during late February, and they should recover and begin flowering again.

BEST ROOT ROUTE TO TAKE

Q: Can I cut some of the shallow roots of a live oak heading under my driveway and house?

A: Cutting any tree roots appears to be risky business after experiencing three hurricanes. Many trees that toppled had roots cut in recent years, which weakened the root system. Also, trees near sidewalks and driveways often had a limited root system, which made them susceptible to the winds.

If what you plan to remove are small surface roots that give little support, you might be safe. But if these are major support roots swelling so that they protrude at the surface of the soil, it's probably best to let them grow.

Contact a certified arborist who can determine which, if any, roots can be removed.

SOD STORY

Q: In May I plugged a new lawn with St. Augustine grass. My lawn company now says it is full of a weed called Alexandergrass. What should I do?

A: If you don't mind waiting a while, Alexandergrass usually dies out during the winter months. It's susceptible to freeze damage. The grass does produce plenty of seeds that are ready to regrow during spring.

One possible solution to your infestation is to mow the mixed lawn now and begin to replace the bad sections of the lawn during winter after the weedy grass declines.

When the Alexandergrass turns brown, rake, pull or dig out the weedy portions of the lawn. You may have to remove some of the St. Augustine in the heavily infested spots.

After the weedy sprigs are removed, till the ground and install new sod to fill in the bare spots before spring growth begins.

After the new sod is rooted in the ground, apply a pre-emergence herbicide, often sold as crab-grass preventer, to stop the Alexandergrass seeds from germinating. A repeat application will be needed following label instructions to maintain a weed-free lawn.

GET TO THE ROOT OF ROT

Q: The wet summer soils caused many of my annuals and perennials to develop root rot; many just turned brown. What should I do to the soil before planting the fall flowers?

A: You can bet the root-rot organisms are plentiful and waiting for your next plantings.

Upset their plans for a feast by removing all portions of the lost or declining plants, and then till the soil 6 to 8 inches deep.

Consider building mounded or raised beds if the area is naturally wet or poorly drained.

Work into sandy soils lots of organic matter such as peat moss, compost and manures.

This is also a good time to vary the flower selection by adding varieties that have not been planted in this site before.

Hopefully, these new flowers are resistant to the organisms living in your soil.

FOSTERING FIGS

Q: I have a friend who would like to grow figs. Is there a good variety for Central Florida?

A: Florida landscapes can grow tasty figs, but choose varieties suitable to the climate. Two traditional selections are Brown Turkey and Celeste.

Others that are not as well-known but often available at garden centers include Green Ischia, San Piero and Magnolia.